Advice on replacement blades for Ridgid JP0610 jointer?

[Mark Hill]

Some time ago, I found a new set of Ridgid-brand replacement knives at a garage sale. Kept then for when I needed them. Finally put them in. They cut like a hot knife through butter. But, wouldn't you know, I hit a nail buried in some reclaimed wood on my first project with the new blades. Argh.

Unfortunately, Ridgid no longer has the OEM the blades. The two I've found, Powertech and Freud, have a mixed bag of reviews on Amazon. Lots of the reviews are good, but the bad ones are really bad - including reviews where the knives are undersized, not sharp to start with and the steel is too soft for hardwoods.

Any suggestions on where to find good knives for a JP0160 for a reasonable price? Dimensions are 6 1/8" x 11/16" x 1/8".

Thanks in advance.

[Bruce King]

eBay might be the only place now and they are less expensive. I run eBay ones in my Delta jointer and planer now that they are either scarce or over priced. No complaints.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Check with Global Tooling. Set of three will cost you $20.07 plus shipping. You can't have then sharpener for that. Can you shift one blade to the right, and another to the left to get rid of nail tracks?

[Mark Hill]

eBay might be the only place now and they are less expensive. I run eBay ones in my Delta jointer and planer now that they are either scarce or over priced. No complaints.

Check with Global Tooling. Set of three will cost you $20.07 plus shipping. You can't have then sharpener for that. Can you shift one blade to the right, and another to the left to get rid of nail tracks?

Thanks for the suggestions - I especially like the "shift one blade to the right, and another to the left" idea. I should have thought of that.

I did some research and here's what I found. Maybe it will help someone someday.

There are several kinds of high-speed steel that jointer blades are made from. The smaller machines like Ridgid, Craftsman, Jet and Delta typically are relegated to:

D2-HCHC
D2 High Carbon and High Chrome (AISI) knives offer the best value for many moulding producers and planer mills. With a Rockwell C hardness (HRC) of 58; it is easy to grind and resists nicks in knotty soft woods. D2 contains 12% chromium to resist chemical erosion when cutting wet cedar or redwood. Great for softwoods and shorter runs in hardwoods.

M2-HSS
True grade M2 High Speed Steel (AISI) steel offers 25% longer run times than D2-HCHC grade. Our Premium M2-HSS offers high levels of Tungsten (6% W), Molybdenum (5.5% Mo), and Vanadium (2.2%V). M2-HSS is hardened to 63 Rc for better wear resistance in harder woods. Great for long runs in most soft and hardwoods.

V2-HSS
V2 High Speed Steel has extra Vanadium for long life. V2 offers the same wear life and performance as M2-HSS, but at a lower cost. By increasing the levels of Vanadium to replace more expensive Molybdenum; we have developed a blend of steel with excellent tool life and the lowest price of any HSS on the market. V2 has a 63 HRc and is easy to profile shape. Great for most long runs in soft or hardwoods.

Carbide tipped blades are available, but their cost is easily 5x to 7x that of HSS cost. I'm not sure I want to shell out well over $100 for a set of blades given the risk of ruining them with a buried nail or screw in the reclaimed wood I typically work with. This might be a good option for some but I'd rather have inexpensive, semi-disposable blades.

Most eBay sellers describe the steel as "HSS." I am guessing this means it's D2-HCHC as they'd probably note the higher quality steel in the product description if that was the case. There are a couple eBay sellers that note their blades are V2. The prices on those are typically $5-$7 higher than the $16-$20 "HSS" blades. Shipping costs, delivery times and return policies vary.

At Global Tooling, you can buy any of the 3 steel qualities. The V2 sets are $20. That's a good price. But, shipping (to me in Maryland) is $17 - that's the cost of a PowerTech blade set from Amazon that includes 2 day shipping.

Freud doesn't make a blade for Ridgid jointers. They only make 6" x 5/8" x 1/8" - smaller than the OEM blade. They describe their steel as "HSS."

The Powertech description on Amazon says its made from M2-HSS. $17, free shipping, satisfaction guarantee and free returns. I'm not sure there are better low-cost options than this despite some of the bad reviews.

[michael langman]

Check with Global Tooling. Set of three will cost you $20.07 plus shipping. You can't have then sharpener for that. Can you shift one blade to the right, and another to the left to get rid of nail tracks?

I bought 2 sets of knives for my little 4" jointer from global tooling. I think they were high speed steel with tungsten. The price was very good and I am still using the first set four or 5 years later.

[Mark Hill]

Check with Global Tooling. Set of three will cost you $20.07 plus shipping. You can't have then sharpener for that. Can you shift one blade to the right, and another to the left to get rid of nail tracks?

Tried your shift the blades idea ... working like a charm until my new blades arrive. Thanks for the tip.

[Mel Fulks]

insist on T-1 or REAL M-2 . Too many places push ,or used to, cheaper substitutes. Some of that junk leaves striations on the first pass.
That means it it is NOT the real stuff. The new surface should be almost shiny. Much less tear-out when you use good steel.